Wauconda vs. Mundelein vs. Grayslake (Chicago, Naperville: townhome, neighborhoods, buy)

[vikm23]

Hello,

I am a Illinois lifer considering moving my family to either Wauconda, Mundelein or Grayslake. I'd love some feedback on any of the 3. The things that are most important to us are safety, good schools, fun things to do with small kids and racial diversity. My children are biracial so being in a tolerant area is important to us.

Thanks in advance to anyone who offers input.

Vik

[linicx]

You need to ask in the Chicago Suburbs Forum

[chet everett]

Frankly none of the three are going to deliver an especially strong mix of the qualities you are seeking with the exception of 'safety' which all three are fine.

There are certainly LOTS of towns with a much wider range of "fun" offerings.

None of those towns have more than one school on the list of Illinois Honor Roll schools -- Illinois Honor Roll - Academic Excellence Awards 2011 List

[linicx]

None are tony North Shore communities. Professionals seem to like Grayslake. My niece likes it very much; I think the city runs a pretty tight ship. It certainly has some interesting amenities for residents. As an Illinois lifer you should understand segregation issues. It doesn't stop at the edge of the City of Chicago any more than it stops at the edge of Cook County. If you are involved with schools, your children should get a good education in an average school. If you don't, he/she won't. High school was, is, and always will be a can of worms simply because it is filled to the brim with teenagers, hormones, bad habits, and terrible attitudes. I don't care what school it is. Kids these days don't have to wait to high school age to do drugs or get into trouble.

If you want to know how racially diverse a community is look at the census demographics and asked pointed questions. A community of 26,000 that is 97% White and .4% Black/Asian/Muslim/Mexican/? is not divorce in any book. You might be better served in Oak Park, Evanston, Arlington Heights, or possibly Naperville. I make these statements based on forum members who are biracial, and/or members who have biracial children.

I don't care what state you live in -- if you live in a small, predominately white community, where there is little racial diversity, racism will raise its ugly little head sooner or later. The trick is to not live in an old "Sundown" community where the same attitude is still alive 150 years later.

Ultimately if you work out of the home, where your employer is located dictates where you live in the Chicago area. If you have children the other elephant in the room is medical care. Illinois is perhaps an unusual state in that residents can find quality, children's critical care hospitals in Chicago, downstate, and in St. Louis. Most rural medical care in America is abysmal at best. The doctors trained in specialty fields, or critical care, might only be available in one city in the state, or only in a nearby state.

Cosmetics, like political spin, are only skin deep. Most communities are very good at spinning their city on websites, forums, Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. Take your time, and do your research starting with the 2010 US Census. Here you find racial makeup, and other facts for each City, Town, Village, and County, but not for communities that are undesignated. Because the community does not have a state designated official title such as Village, it is not listed by name, but the residents are counted in the total population in the county and the state.

Don't get too excited over "school" report cards that may or may not apply to current school year. Probably 99% of ALL Illinois high schools are on the State Watch List because a percentage of those students can't meet or exceed federal and state mandated pass/fail in Math and Science. It does not mean they are not getting a good basic education. Because they cannot pass Algebra should not keep them out of college --provided they are capable of doing college level coursework. The Dumb Down of America started long ago; we're just beginning to wise up and do something about it. Time takes time to pass and it will be a few years before yours are ready for college.

[chet everett]

Wow, just wow :

Originally Posted by linicx

...Because they cannot pass Algebra should not keep them out of college --provided they are capable of doing college level coursework...

Gee, where I come from kids in middle school are expected to master algebra. If things have slipped to point that one can finish high school and not handle that...

Originally Posted by linicx

...if you live in a small, predominately white community, where there is little racial diversity, racism will raise its ugly little head sooner or later...

Ah yes, there is the same ol' lie trotted out every chance those with a political agenda can muster. The utter nonsense of this is shocking. Thousands and thousands of posts here confirm that Illinois' suburbs are pretty universally tolerant, and the smaller more affluent area tend to favored by folks that went to superior colleges and work in careers that are focused on including as wide a swath of Americans as possible. The reality is that attitudes that are intolerant may have been common 40+ years ago and even then largely among the low skilled labors that most feared for their jobs. That is completely out of touch with the reality of today...

Originally Posted by linicx

...The Dumb Down of America started long ago

Indeed it did!

Originally Posted by linicx

... where your employer is located dictates where you live in the Chicago area

Only part of that I can agree with.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by vikm23

Hello,

I am a Illinois lifer considering moving my family to either Wauconda, Mundelein or Grayslake. I'd love some feedback on any of the 3. The things that are most important to us are safety, good schools, fun things to do with small kids and racial diversity. My children are biracial so being in a tolerant area is important to us.

Thanks in advance to anyone who offers input.

Vik

What is your housing budget and preferences? Where is work-you do not want to spend large amounts of time commuting. What hobbies and activities do you prefer? Where are you living currently and do you like it or are you moving to change certian things you currently dislike?

[vikm23]

I would like a 3BR, 2BA house with a Basement. I'd like to keep the cost under $260K but how high or low I go will also depend on property taxes. I currently live in Buffalo Grove, which is great as far as thing to do and diversity, but it is EXPENSIVE! In terms of things to do, my wife and I are foodies and love trying different restaurants. I also like playing getting out with my kids and being active, playing sports, etc. I work in Deerfield and want to keep my commute manageable which is a challenge with all the traffic in that area!

[cubssoxfan]

part of the reason Buffalo Grove north of Lake Cook Rd. is expensive is becasue you are paying for Stevenson HS, one of the best (some say the best) high schools in the state. The elementary districts feeding into Stevenson are also excellent. I remember researching Wauconda HS earlier in the year and was amazed by the LACK of AP courses. I would really spend time researching schools in the areas you are looking at. IIRC: Home Also take time to look at the schools web site for course offerings. Have you considered moving south a little bit? If you move into the Cook Co part of Buffalo Grove, or into Arlington Heights, your taxes will be lower and you will still have excellent high schools in D214 and the districts that feed into it.

[pvande55]

I believe Mundelein has the best Park District of the three. And closest to the better restaurants (though Wheeling would be best of all for that). On the other hand if you work in Deerfield (presumably on Lake-Cook Rd) you would prefer to be on the Milwaukee-North line so you could take the train to work, and only Grayslake offers that.

[cubssoxfan]

Ok so the OP works in Deerfield and currently lives in Buffalo Grove and :

The things that are most important to us are safety, good schools, fun things to do with small kids and racial diversity. My children are biracial so being in a tolerant area is important to us.

I see this in a very blunt manner. Buy a larger, newer home in the 3 towns you are looking at or buy a smaller, older home in a more established suburb with better schools. The schools in the more established suburbs near Deerfield like Deerfield, Northbrook, parts of Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights are more highly regarded than in the 3 towns you mentioned. They are close to work and all have good parks and libraries.
In the 3 towns you are looking at, you have a longer commute but also have better opportunities to live in newer and more spacious neighborhoods with, perhaps, more of a small town feel.
Not sure how it plays out in the rest of Lake Co., but I know my BIL pays more in taxes on his townhome in Lake Co. portion of Buffalo Grove than I do on a single family home in Arlington Heights.